Staple fiber cutter and crimper



March 22, 1966 R. F. BAER STAPLE FIBER CUTTER AND CRIMPER Filed Oct. 10,1963 INVENTOR RUSSEL F. BAER United States Patent 3,241,195 STAPLE FIBERCUTTER AND CRIMPER Russel F. Baer, Beloit, Wis., assignor to MonsantoCompany, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 315,1345 Claims. (Cl. 19--.32)

This invention relates to apparatus used for cutting and cripingsynthetic fiber into staple fiber. More specifically, the inventionrelates to a cutte-r'crirnper which cuts the filament into staple fiberand crimps it with one machine in one operation.

In the conventional practice synthetic filament is crimped, and afterfurther processing is cut into staple fiber, t-husly requiring the useof two machines and two operations. These two machines may be combinedby associating a cutting assembly with one of the feed rolls toeliminate a cutting machine and a separate cutting operation, therebyreducing costs. The initial cost of machinery would be less and themaintenance costs thereof would be reduced. Similarly the cost of laborwould be reduced since the overall time period for the process would beshortened. Accordingly, one of the objects of this invention is tocombine a cutting assembly with one of the feed rolls of a crimpingmachine.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel apparatus forcutting and crimping synthetic filament in a single operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved rotarycutting assembly for cutting filament.

A further object of this invention is to provide an im proved apparatusfor crimping staple fiber.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the description, drawing, and claims.

One embodiment of the present invention contemplates an apparatus foraccomplishing the above objects by delivering a continuous filament to apair of feed rolls wherein one of the rolls has a cutting assemblyassociated therewith for cutting the filament into staple fiber which isfed into a crimping chamber that is provided with a clapper arm forimpeding movement of the staple fiber therethrough to develop a backpressure therein for crimping the fibers.

Referring now to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view showing a preferred embodiment ofthe invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the invention in crosssection taken on lineAA in FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a tow of continuous synthetic fibers is passedover a guide 11 and fed between feed rolls 13 and 14, which preferablyhave smooth cylindrical surfaces, and thereafter, to a crimping chamber12. Feed roll 13 is rotatably mounted on reduced portion 15 of shaft 16which is connected by any conventional means to a suitable power source,not shown, and is secured thereon by washer 17 and nut 18. Similarly,feed roll 14 is rotatably mounted on shaft 20 and is secured thereon bywasher 21 and nut 22.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2, feed roll 13 is counterbored to provide aspace between the shaft 16 and a re maining portion 19 of the feed roll.The remaining portion 19 of feed roll 13 is provided with a plurality ofbores 23 extending therethrough outwardly relative to the shaft. Acutter assembly consisting of a cutter blade 31 mounted in one end of astud 32 is disposed in each bore. The cutter blade is held in aretracted position by spring 33 which encircles a portion of stud 32 atthe other end. Bore 23 is enlarged to provide a shoulder 35 which formsan abutment means to support 3,241,195 Patented Mar. 22, 1 966 one endof spring 33. The other end of the spring is abutted by retainer means36 which is affixed to the end of stud 32 opposite cutter blade 31. Thespring assembly normally extends into the inner space formed betweenshaft 16 and portion 19 when the spring is expanded, whereby the cuttingedge of cutter blade 31 is held in a retracted position within bore 23.In the inner space is mounted a stationary member or cam having adome-shaped surface 39 facing outwardly from shaft 16. Member 40 ismounted on housing 41 by support arm 42 with its axis being in the sameplane as shafts 16 and 20.

As shown, the crimping and relaxing chamber 12 is formed by the feedrolls 13 and 14, a panel 43, a removable cover plate 44, divergingdoctor blades 45 and 46, and downwardly inclined clapper bar which ispivoted at 48. The clapper bar 47 is operated by a pneumaticallyactuated plunger 49 being engageable therewith which is reciprocablymounted in an air cylinder 50 fixed to doctor blade 46 and connected toa source of air, not shown.

, Removable cover plate 44 may be attached to the doctor blades whichmay be mounted on panel 43. The .panel 43 extends along a plane parallelwith support housing 41 and is integral with it or fixed thereto.

The doctor blades comprise the opposite sides of chamber 12 and arefixed to panel 43 in diverging relation with their upper ends abuttingagainst rolls 13 and 14, below the nip of the rolls to control thedeflection of the staple fiber leaving the nip. Clapper bar 47 forms apartial bottom closure for the crimping chamber 12 to restrict movementof the staple fiber following the cutting operation. Although thecrimped staple fiber is continuously discharged from chamber 12, theexit passage is narrow enough to cause sufficient back-pressure todevelop in the chamber to insure that the staple fiber assumes a crimpedcondition. As shown, the staple fiber is treated with steam as it passesfrom the nip of rolls 13 and 14, where it is cut, to the restricted exit53. Steam is introduced into the chamber through pipe 54 from a sourcenot shown.

In operation tow 10 is fed over guide 11 into feed rolls 13 and 14. Asfeed roll 13 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in thedrawing, relative to stationary member 40, spring retainer means 36contacts the dome-shaped surface 39 whereupon the surface 39 cams thecutter assembly 30 outwardly toward the feed roll 14 to cut the tow. Thefeed roll 14 is provided with a hard rubber sleeve 55 to prevent damageto blade 31 when it is pressed against the sleeve to perform the cuttingoperation. Further movement of roll 13 disengages the cutter assemblyfrom stationary member 40 permitting spring 33 to return to its normalposition whereby cutter blade 31 is returned to its retracted positionwithin bore 23.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it isto be understod that changes and variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for converting a bundle of continuous textile filamentsinto crimped staple fibers comprising, a pair of feed rollers mountedwith their surfaces in contact for advancing the bundle between saidrollers, one of said rollers having a cutter disposed therein and havinga knifed edge positioned at a point flush with the surface thereof,means for projecting the knifed edge radially beyond the surface of thesaid one roller at least equal to the depth of the bundle, saidprojection occurring at a point on the axial line of contact of saidrollers to sever the continuous textile filaments into staple fibers,

1nd a chamber formed in part by said feed rollers for :rirnping saidfibers.

2. Apparatus for converting continuous textile filanents into crimpedstaple fibers comprising, a chamber raving a passageway therethrough, afirst and a second .eed roller mounted with their surfaces in contact toadrance a bundle of continuous textile filaments to said :hamberadjacent said feed rollers, said feed rollers orming a part of thechamber, a cutter having a knifcd :dge disposed in the first feedroller, said knifed edge eing positioned at a point flush with thesurface thereof, 1 resilient sleeve member on the second feed roller,means or projecting the knifed edge radially beyond the sur- 'ace ofsaid first feed roller at least equal to the depth f the bundle tocontact the resilient sleeve member at t point on the axial line ofcontact between said first LIld second feed rollers to convert thecontinuous textile ilaments into staple fibers, means for retracting thecuter to its normal position, means for restricting the flow vf staplefibers through the chamber, and means for ntroducing a source of steaminto the chamber.

3. Apparatus for converting continuous textile filanents into crimpedstaple fibers in a single operation :omprising, a set of feed rollershaving smooth surfaces omposed of a first and a second roller mounted ontarallel spaced axes with their surfaces in contact, means or guiding abundle of textile filaments to the nip of aid feed rollers, means fordriving said rollers to coninuously feed said textile filaments to achamber havng a passageway therethrough and connected with the xit sideof the feed rollers, a plurality of cutters dis- )OSCd internally in thefirst roller, said cutters each havng a knifed edge positionedinternally of the surface of aid first roller, actuating means forextending the knifed edge externally beyond the surface at least equalto the diameter of the textile filaments to engage the smooth surface ofsaid second roller, said actuation occurring at the axial line ofcontact between the first and second feed rollers to convert the textilefilaments into staple fiber, means for retracting the cutter to itsnormal position, means for restricting fiber movement through thepassageway of said chamber whereby a back-pressure is developed thereinto impart to the staple fiber a folded condition, and means forintroducing a source of steam into the chamber to impart a permanentcrimped condition to the staple fibers.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the actuating means is a stationarycam positioned on the axial line of the feed rolls and within a recessedportion of the first feed roller to intermittently cam each cutterradially therefrom upon rotation of the first feed roller to bring thecutters into contact with the cam.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the retracting means is a springpositioned concentrically about a stud portion of the cutter.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,010,078 8/1935Hale 89-913 X 2,418,125 4/1947 Koster et al. 1966 2,419,320 4/1947Lohrke 19-32 X 2,653,355 9/1953 Essman 19-37 X 2,719,336 10/1955 Stotler196 X 2,795,010 6/1957 Hess 19'56 DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. D.NEWTON, Assistant Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING A BUNDLE OF CONTINUOUS TEXTILE FILAMENTSINTO CRIMPED STAPLE FIBERS COMPRISING, A PAIR OF FEED ROLLERS MOUNTEDWITH THEIR SURFACES IN CONTACT FOR ADVANCING THE BUNDLE BETWEEN SAIDROLLERS, ONE OF SAID ROLLERS HAVING A CUTTER DISPOSED THEREIN AND HAVINGA KNIFED EDGE POSITIONED AT A POINT FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE THEREOF,MEANS FOR PROJECTING THE KNIFTED EDGE RADIALLY BEYOND THE SURFACE OF THESAID ONE ROLLER AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE DEPTH OF THE BUNDLE, SAIDPROJECTION OCCURRING AT A POINT ON THE AXIAL LINE OF CONTACT OF SAIDROLLERS TO SEVER THE CONTINUOUS TEXTILE FILAMENTS INTO STAPLE FIBERS,AND A CHAMBER FORMED IN PART BY SAID FEED ROLLERS FOR CRIMPING SAIDFIBERS.